Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, has responsibility for overall policy and funding in regard to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, design and operation of individual roads is a matter for the relevant road authority in the case of local and regional roads and for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned, in the case of national roads.

Within the overall context of Project Ireland 2040, the national development plan has been developed by Government to underpin the successful implementation of the new national planning framework. This provides the strategic and financial framework for TII's national roads programme for the period from 2018 to 2027. In the ten years covered by the plan, more than €11 billion will be invested in the overall road network. Ireland has just under 100,000 km of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and the Exchequer. As a result of the national financial position, there were very large reductions in Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure after the financial crisis. The Building on Recovery capital plan 2016 to 2021 and the capital plan review allocation mark a significant step forward in terms of restoring funding to the levels needed to maintain the road network in a steady state condition and allow for investment in road improvement schemes.

Within the capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act. In this regard, TII has progressed a project which runs from Ballaghaderreen to Scramogue. It comprises a proposed road development of 33.4 km consisting of an offline type 1 single carriageway road that runs south east from the tie-in point of the existing Ballaghaderreen bypass to east of Strokestown at Scramogue. An additional 13 km of side roads and existing road improvements, 17 at-grade T-junctions and five roundabouts will be provided as part of the scheme. The proposed route will bypass the towns or villages of Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown.

Roscommon County Council submitted the scheme to An Bord Pleanála in December 2017. An oral hearing into the scheme was held in October 2018 and An Bord Pleanála confirmed the scheme on 18 January 2019. The expected benefits of the project are a reduction in journey times between Ballaghaderreen and Scramoge by approximately ten minutes, improved road safety for all road users and a reduction in accidents, improved environments at Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown as a result of the removal of through traffic from these towns and villages along the existing N5 route, and the supporting of the economic performance of counties Mayo and Roscommon through the provision of improved transport infrastructure. Following approval from An Bord Pleanála, TII intends to progress this project by moving to detailed design stage.

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